22 17 August 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Photo Insight
I
t takes a lot of skill and a
strong swimming ability
to be able to produce
the kind of results
that Australian photographer
Warren Keelen can achieve.
Not only does he have to
think about all the technical
settings on his camera, he also
needs to manoeuvre his body
to the exact position at the
given moment, and keep his
composure and camera steady
in moving water. This is by no
means an easy task.
Having always been fascinated
by nature, Warren Keelan tells
Claire Gillo about how he captures
emotional images of the ocean
Emanate
By Warren Keelan
Warren’s kit bag is bursting to the
brim with camera bodies and lenses.
His most useful pieces of kit though
are his DaFiN swim fins, Agent
Eighteen Wetsuits, and AquaTech Elite
water housing, which keeps his Canon
EOS 5D Mark III and Mark IV protected.
In his lens collection, as well as the
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens
he also has the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8,
Canon 16-35mm f/2.8, Canon 50mm
f/1.4 USM, and Canon EF 15mm f/2.8
fisheye lens.
canvas and inspiration. The
ocean is full of colour, shapes,
symmetry, textures and
energy, which I fi nd completely
mesmerising. With the use of a
digital camera and waterproof
housing I’m able to explore the
intricacies and anomalies of
these relationships which
often go unseen, translating
these visions using various
lenses and diff erent techniques
into images that I can share
with the world.’
On a typical day Warren
will get up before sunrise, a
task that he admits he doesn’talways fi nd easy, and heads to
the ocean. ‘You go from being
a night owl in a band to having
to get up at the crack of dawn!’
he says. ‘Getting up early can
be a struggle, but I know I’ve
got to force myself as you
never know what’s going to
happen.’ After a couple of
hours in the water, Warren
then heads to his gallery
in Wollongong, New South
Wales, which he’s had since- ‘I’m so lucky to be doing
what I’m doing. I get to talk
to people and share my
experiences every day.’
‘I’ve always had a fascination
with nature, especially the
ocean and its ever-changing
forms,’ the photographer tells
us. ‘I am compelled to capture
and share what I feel are
special and unique moments
in the sea. I love the raw,
unpredictable nature of water
in motion and the way that
sunlight brings it all to life,
from both above and below
the surface.
‘For me, the challenge is
creating an image that I hope
tells a story or evokes a feeling
or emotional response.’
Warren originally comes
from a creative music
background, and it wasn’t
until this part of his life
changed direction that
he found photography.
‘I originally purchased
my fi rst digital camera
(Canon EOS 5D Mark II)
to try my hand at fi shing
photojournalism,’ he says. ‘I’ve
always loved being creative,
and after photographing
landscapes for a couple of years
from the land I knew that I
needed to be in the ocean.’
After purchasing an
underwater housing case
Warren’s photography style
began to change drastically.
‘I had spent my entire life
either alongside or within the
ocean, so it felt like a natural
progression to delve into image
making using the sea as a© WARREN KEELAN
Two waves collide under
a moody cloud-filled sky.
Captured on the South Coast
of New South Wales, Australia
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 70-200mm,
1/3200sec at f/5.6, ISO 250WARREN’S KIT